Aliyah faces global challenge

She never took up the opportunity to showcase her beauty because of cultural circumstances � until now.

The Port Hedland-born 34-year-old has entered her first pageant � Face Of The Globe Australia.

The primary school teacher said her brother, Adel, encouraged her to enter the competition, and after much thought and research she decided to give it a go.

�Despite the name, it�s not just a pretty face that the pageant is looking for,� Ms Ali said.

�Unlike many other pageants, it embraces all women � there are no height, size, age restrictions or awkward bikini rounds and women can be mothers and/or married.

�It�s just as much about personality, if not more so, than it is about appearance.�

Ms Ali was one of 30 women across Australia selected as a national finalist in the adult division.

Describing herself as �simple and fun loving�, the first-generation Australian hopes to inspire other women in their 30s to not let age limit their perception of beauty and pageantry.

�(I hope) to see more women who come from various cultural backgrounds embracing new roles and challenges as they are the key to inspiring our future generations,� Ms Ali said.

With both parents born in Egypt, the keen baker has visited the Middle Eastern country several times. She said seeing millions of Egyptians living below the poverty line taught her a lot about empathy.

�It is important to raise awareness of those who are struggling,� Ms Ali said.

�I believe we have been put on this earth to contribute to society through the means of helping each other without the expectation of gaining any means in return.�

While competing in the pageant, Ms Ali will raise funds for the Rainbow Child Foundation � a non-profit organisation helping underprivileged children around the world.

Face Of The Globe Australia is open to girls aged 14 and above.

The Australian national final is from August 28 to 30 in Melbourne.

Winners will represent Australia at the 2016 International Final in the UK and Disneyland Paris.